“Polio was eradicated from Colombia, but surveillance is maintained”

Vaccination in boys and girls under one year of age for 2021 was 86.1%, says Minsalud.
The Ministry of Health highlighted this Monday the fulfillment of Colombia’s commitment to the eradication of this contagious disease that mainly affects children under 5 years of age.

Regarding World Polio Day, María Belén Jaimes, deputy director of Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health, highlighted that our country has kept the disease eliminated since 1991 thanks to high vaccination coverage.

According to official figures, vaccination coverage with the third doses of polio in boys and girls under one year of age for the year 2021 was 86.1%.

He recalled that polio is a disease caused by the Poliovirus, which invades the central nervous system and can cause death or paralysis in a matter of hours.

The official assured that through the Ministry of Health they want to support eradication efforts at the national level, including continuing with vaccination and maintaining epidemiological surveillance actions with coverage above 95%.

Dr. Jaimes called on parents and caregivers to comply with the national polio vaccine schedule with the application of three doses at 2, 4 and 6 months of age and 2 boosters: at 18 months and 5 years, a complete scheme that provides lifelong protection.

Until epidemiological week 40, the notification rate of Acute Flaccid Paralysis is located at 1.01, the expected rate for the same period was 0.77; The country meets the indicator.

He revealed that cases caused by wild poliovirus have decreased by more than 99%; from the 350,000 estimated in 1988, to six reported in 2021.

“As long as there is a single infected child, children in all countries are at risk of contracting this disease,” he warned.

Currently, the Ministry, together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), is advancing in the construction of an action plan to mitigate the risk of poliomyelitis to be developed in the remainder of 2022 and next year.

Zonacero

Related